In completing a cased well, the well is often subjected to a stimulation treatment where the well is perforated and fractured to form a primary fracture. The primary fracture extends outward from the perforations at the wellbore wall, deep into the surrounding rock. The direction of primary fracture propagation is dictated by the characteristics of the rock being fractured. Although local discontinuities can have local effects on the direction of the fracture propagation, the majority of a primary fracture will propagate in a single direction dictated by the rock. Therefore, perforations are typically formed in the predicted direction of fracture propagation, so that primary fractures formed through the perforations extend from the perforations in the same direction.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.